Bolt Signs Running's Biggest Sponsorship Ever

'It's all about fashion,' sprinter says of Puma deal
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 25, 2010 12:28 PM CDT
Bolt Signs Running's Biggest Sponsorship Ever
Usain Bolt kisses his golden shoe after winning the gold medal in the men's 100-meter final during the athletics competitions at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, Aug. 16, 2008.   (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

Usain Bolt has just signed the biggest sponsorship deal in track-and-field history—and one of the biggest in sports history, period. The deal extends Bolt’s long-standing relationship with Puma, which has sponsored him since he was 15. Puma hasn’t released the exact figures, but sources tell the Guardian that it’s somewhere in the vicinity of the $32.5 million soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo signed with Nike.

Bolt says other companies courted him, “but for me Puma is the No. 1 in my book.” The company will launch a whole clothing line around Bolt, all stamped with a silhouette of Bolt’s trademark victory stance—which will look a lot like Michael Jordan’s “Jumpman” logo. “He has his sign, I have my own sign,” says Bolt. “It’s all about fashion.” Bolt plans to wear a different outfit to every race, hoping people will tune in to see his latest. (More Usain Bolt stories.)

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